Flue-cleaner.



G. E. PIERCE.

FLUE CLEANER.

APPLIUATION FILED Amas, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914J A, 4 f. Yauwvl,

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GEORGE F. PIERCE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PATENT OFFICE.

FLUE-CLEANER.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, Guiones F. Pinnen, a

`citizen of the United States, residing atl Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of lVIissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fine-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in liue cleaners, and my object is to provide a simple but efficient device ol" this character whereby the tlues of steam boilers may be quickly and thoroughly cleansed of soot or other foreign matter.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made. to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken elevation partly in section of a flue cleaner embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a broken section on line II-II of Fig. 1, of one of the cleaning elements employed in carrying out the invention. Fig. 3 is an irregular cross section on line IIIw-III of Fig. 1 of said element. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of a nozzle forming part of the invention. Fig. 5 is a side view of said nozzle. Fig. 6 is a modified form of nozzle. Fig. 7 is a cross section on line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a tube 1 upon the forward end ot' which is mounted a nozzle 2, consisting of a sleeve 3 and a plug 4: threaded into said sleeve. Plug t has a plurality of peripheral slots 5 arranged at an angle to the aXis thereof as shown on Fig. 5. Said plug also has a groove 6 in its front side to receive a screw driver whereby said plug may be screwed into or removed from the sleeve 3.

7 designates a scraper comprising a conical head 8 at its rear end, a head 9 tapering in opposite directions at its forward end, and resilient cutters 10 connecting said heads, said cutters being seated at their ends upon the large peripheries of the heads 8 and 9 where they are reliably secured by screws 11.

12 designates balls interposed between tube 1 and the reduced end of head 8, so that the latter may slide upon the former with but little friction. A nut 12 holds the balls 12 in position and is threaded on the tube 1, the nut, as is evident from Fig. 1, engaging the inner circumference of the head 8 adjacent the smaller end of the latter to prevent lateral movement of said head.

13 designates a cylindrical brush, consist- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 162,777.

ing, preferably, of metal, loosely-mounted upon tube 1 between two washers 14, also lrmsely-mounted upon tube 1 but normally locked from movement thereon by nuts 15 and 1G engaging the threaded portion 1T of said tube.

18 desigi'iates a coil spring interposed between the nut .1.(3 and a washer 19, which latter bears against the rear end of head 8.

2t) designates a plurality of perforations in tube 1 just in advance of head 8 and inclined forwardly as shown on Fig. 1.

21 designates a wire extending through tube 1 and secured at its forward end to a pin 22, bearing against the forward end of said tube.

In practice, the rear end of tube 1 is connected to the dome of the boiler to be cleaned, by a hose (not shown). The cleaner is then inserted, nozzle first, into a flue of the boiler through which it is shoved by pushing on tube 1. As the cleaner advances, steam is discharged from nozzle 2 in spiral form and impinging against the interior of the flue loosens and blows away the greater portion of foreign matter deposited therein. Should any foreign Inatter still adhere to the flue it scraped ofi' by the cutters 10. The brush 13 following the cutters 10, sweeps ofi' any foreign matter which might adhere to the flue after the passage of said cutters 10, and polishes the interior of the flue, leaving the same in. the most efficient condition for the transmission of heat. All foreign matter removed by the cutters 10 is then blown forward by steam jets discharged from the perforations 20, past the head 5), the tapered rear portion of which prevents said foreign matter from accumulating within the scraper 7.

The greatest diameter of scraper 7 is larger than the diameter of the boiler iues to be cleaned thereby. Hence, when said scraper is inserted in a tube it is compressed transversely and thereby exerts considerable pressure on said flue, so that the cutters 10 will remove, practically, all obstructions in their path. This transverse compression of the cutters 10 elongates the scraper and causes head 8 to move backward against the pressure of spring 18, compressing the same. When the cleaner is removed from the flue, spring 18 immediately expands and compresses the scraper 7 longitudinally to normal position. The consequent backward and forward movement of head 8 on tube l is attended with but little friction owing to the intervening-ball bearing 12.

Should spring 18 become weak in time, it may be tensioned by screwing the, nut 16 forward, after which brush 13 and the washers 14 are moved forward a like distance by :screwing` up the nut 15. lVhen desired another scraper 7 may be placed in the rear of brush 13, so that the same will;

operate betweenr two scrapers. Should tube 1 accidentally break after the cleaner has been pushed through a flue, all parts of said Cleaner can be readily withdrawn by the wire 2l and the pin 22.

.ln Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modified form of nozzle consisting of an internallythreaded sleeve 3, closed; at its forward end by a plug 4, and having peripheral slots 5% -lt is obvious that other changes may be made in the detailed construction, combination and arrangement of parte without departing from the spirit and scope oi" the claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 25 ent, is:

In a flue cleaner, a tube having a nozzle on its front end, a hollow head having a substantially cone-shaped front portion, the free end of which abuts the nozzle and also 30 having a substantially Vcone-shaped rear portion, the free end of which engages about the tube, a substantially conical hollow head spaced from the first named head and; haaf- Y in 0' its smaller end engagedA about the. tube, 35 cutting means connected to the hea-ds, andA i means secured about the tube and which enthe inner circumference of the second named hea-d adjacent the smaller end of; the latter to prevent lateral movement of thev 40 second named head.

in testimony whereof` I aflix my signa;- ture, in the presence of twoV witnesses.

GEORGE F. PEERCE.

TWitnesses F. G.v FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER.l

Copies: of this.` patent may be obtained for ve cents each., by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. ,Washingtom D. C." 

